


Welcome to the World of Pokémon!

by SilverHeart1821



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2018-10-29 20:02:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10861068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverHeart1821/pseuds/SilverHeart1821
Summary: What will happen if you, the reader, appeared in the pokémon world? On the Alola region to be exact? It'll be crazy, yet exciting that you'll finally be able to meet the pokémon head on! Maybe have an adventure of your own! However, despite the wondrous experience, another question pops up.How did you get here?Curious? Why don't you read and find out, young readers?Note: This will take place after the post-game of Pokémon Moon/Sun. Three months to be exact.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First chapter to the series~! I've been thinking about writing this type of story for a while now ever since I got a past request from my old Tumblr blog. It's been deleted though, so I apologize if you can't find it.
> 
> Thank you if you have taken the time to click on this story and give it a chance. I really appreciate it.
> 
> Now, off you go, reader! I hope you enjoy the chapter! ♥  
> 

You wake up with a startle.

The sun greets you from above, keeping your body warm. Thin, white clouds mix in with the blue sky. You stare at the sky while your mind's processing on the situation at hand.

You're out in the open with no bed in sight... Nothing resembles the area you're used to seeing when you go outside. There's something off about this place too. It's too...colorful. Unrealistic. Despite that, the smell of grass remains the same.

You feel a breeze ruffling your hair. It makes you shiver uncontrollably, goose bumps forming on your bare skin. A bird, or something that resembles one, flies amongst the clouds. It then disappears behind a rocky wall. Blinking a couple of times, you focus your sight on the wall, noticing that it's off from what you're used to seeing.

Why does it look different...?

Once the fog lifts from your mind, an internal alarm goes off. You quickly sit up and look around, your eyes widening on what you see.

Everything... Everything's animated! The grass, the rocks, the ground... Everything! How did this happen!? Why are you outside and not in your bed? Are you dreaming...? You have to be! This just can't be possible...

Your body trembles as you observe your surroundings. The heart in your chest beats faster the longer you look. No building is within your sight, so asking for help is a no go. A crater surrounds the open, grassy area that have different ground levels. From what you can tell, you're sitting on the highest hill that the area has to offer.

It's strange... This area's foreign to you, yet something's pulling at the back of your mind that you've seen this place before. But where?

The gentle breeze caresses your skin again, shivering once more as you use your hands to rub your arms. Another scent reaches your senses - salt water. Despite being trapped, the fact that you can smell the ocean eases your nerves a little. However, even if you're near water, it still didn't answer the questions you thought of before. You frown as you place a hand where your heart is, then clench tightly onto your t-shirt.

Even if you're in a strange place with no one in sight, you need to remain calm and think things through. Panicking isn't going to solve anything. Easier said than done when you're heart refuses to slow down.

Closing your eyes, you take a deep breath and slowly release after counting to five. You do this a couple of times until the trembling stops. The heart continues to pound against your chest, but it's not as fast as it was before. You calmly open your eyes. The area remains unchanged. Seeing as how you're able to move your arms, you begin to adjust your legs and attempt to stand. Your legs wobble due to not using them for however long you've been here, but you still have your balance. The rocky wall beside you proves to be a valuable support as you stand on your bare feet.

Good thing you're able to move fine or else you would be in big trouble.

However, as soon as you stand tall, you feel...shorter somehow. Everything appears to be bigger than what it should be, especially the boulder that's nearby. It's about an inch taller than you. In reality, you're supposed to be taller than the rock. So, why did you feel this way...?

You move your hands to where you can examine them. Your eyes nearly bulge out of your skull. The hands are much smaller than what you're used to! You immediately pat your chest to feel nothing there and gasp out loud. No wonder you felt lighter!

What in the world!?

You immediately check everything on your body and almost have a heart attack when everything's smaller. Did you...!?

_Did you become a child!?_

You didn't see any puddles nearby to confirm your suspicions, but it'll probably be a waste of time. The truth is right in front of your eyes after all. Your hands, chest, bottom and even your feet are tiny.

How did this happen...? Why couldn't you have stayed as an adult? Why did you become a child? Rather, how did you become a child? What a terrible joke this is...

Well, good thing you're not an actual toddler. No no no no no... That would be horrible to think about.

You shake your head to cast aside such thoughts. Placing your hands on your hips, you try to think positive. Children are less suspicious than adults are, so there's that. At least in some cases. You feel more energetic than usual - unlike your adult life where you're always tired. If, for some reason you need to hide, you'll be difficult to find with your tiny body. You have fewer responsibilities. Adults will think twice to look your way since they usually don't concern themselves with children.

It's a good start. So, you guess, for the time being, you'll have to grow used to this body. Whether you like it or not.

You curl your animated toes into the cool grass and then release them. A heavy sigh escapes your lips when you need to walk around without any shoes. You scan the area to locate any sharp objects. When nothing strikes you out of place, your shoulders sag a little due to relief.

**Beep... Beep beep...**

"Wha!"

You flail your arms to keep yourself from falling, your heart almost leaping out of your chest. Once you've calmed down, you sharply look over your shoulder to glare at whatever frightened you. Your eyes rest on a familiar machine. Blinking a couple of times, you walk over to it, bend over and pick it up.

It's your Nintendo 3DS, the extra large version with your favorite color covering the smooth surface. When you examine the back, your name's written in black marker. There's no scratches and appears to be clean from any debris. It looks brand new. The sound it emitted was different too. Your 3DS didn't do that before. At least, whenever you booted up the machine. So, what makes this thing special, other than it being here?

Your 3DS beeps again, but this time louder. It begins to shake in your hands, but you refuse to drop it. Then, the shape begins to shift and mold until it suddenly wraps around your wrist. You yelp in surprise at the sudden action and contact. The mysterious object in question wraps tightly around your wrist until it's transformations complete. You stare at the bracelet, speechless by what happened.

On top of your favorite colored bracelet is a shape that you immediately recognize. A red and white pokéball with a button in the middle. The bracelet fits snuggly on your wrist and the size matches your small appearance. You've never seen this type of product before, but it didn't matter. The fact that you have this, right now, is astonishing.

Your hands begin to tremble, the situation dawning on you since you know exactly what world you're in now.

Pokémon... You're in the pokémon world! Holy shit!

An overwhelming feeling of excitement, with a mixture of uncertainty, lie heavily on your mind and heart. Ever since you were little, you always wanted pokémon of your own or to meet them. The closest thing you ever did to own a pokémon is a stuffed version of your favorite one. Even as an adult, you still have it despite it being worn out. The fact that you now have a chance to encounter them... It shakes you greatly to the core. However, despite the positive feeling, a seed of doubt grows faintly within you.

Something like this shouldn't be possible, no matter how much you wish for it. Yet, here you are, in the middle of nowhere, with a pokéball bracelet strapped to your wrist. Your body, clothes and the surrounding area are no longer realistic. Something you're used to seeing every day. Everything about this place...it feels surreal. You have to be dreaming. That's the only possible conclusion you can come up with. There are times when you dreamed realistically. You won't be surprised if this is one of them.

**_Denial._ **

You drop your hand to your side and glance down at the path before you, seeing that it leads to the middle of the area. You'll look more at the device later. For now, you need to explore and find out where you are specifically. The area still seems familiar though, so it shouldn't take long to figure out your location. Taking a deep breath, you begin your descent on the dirt path, keeping an eye out for any sharp rocks or objects. You didn't need any cuts on your bare, now dirty, feet. It didn't take long to reach the bottom, but now you face an obstacle.

A field of grass that contain wild pokémon. You bite your lip, eyeing the patch with a nervous glance. It's pretty tall since it reaches to your knees. Even if this is a dream, you didn't want to just barge right through without a plan. Is there a way around the grass...?

The sound of barking interrupts your thoughts. You look up from the grass and notice on the other side a puppy playing with a tiny bear. A cooing sound escapes your lips, affection swelling your heart. Despite them being wild pokémon, you have this urge to play with them and give them a lot of attention. You lean forward some more, your eyes more on the puppy than the bear. It looks familiar... You dig through your mind to remember something about this pokémon. Then, the memories suddenly hit you.

Rockruff... That's right! And the pokémon it's playing with, if you remember correctly, is a Spinda. If that's the case, then the area you're currently in is Ten Carat Hills. You pat your shoulder happily for being able to remember the names. However, if you're in this place, then that means that you're in the Alola region!

"Yes!" you shout without thinking, startling the two poor pokémon.

Both of them quickly turn to you, freezing in place. You hastily cover your mouth, but it's already too late when you watch the Spinda wobble off in fright. Both you and Rockruff have a stare off, sweat beginning to form on the side of your head. You lower your trembling hands and wave at it, feeling awful that you interrupted their play time.

"Heellooo...? Yeah, um hi..." you keep your voice down, afraid that you'll scare the wild pokémon in the grass. Clearing your throat, you continue quietly. "I don't know if you understand me, but I'm sorry for scaring your friend off. I hope you can forgive me."

Rockruff's big, blue eyes blink innocently at you, it's curly tail suddenly wagging. You smile faintly at the puppy before glancing down at the grass. After that, you look over at the upper ground surrounding the grass and shrug. Might as well go around it instead of charging through. Wiggling your toes, you walk over to the side and raise your leg to step on top of the upper ground. Feeling no resistance, you climb and stand on top of it, finding this whole thing amusing.

Why couldn't you have done this in the game? It would have made things easier, but it would probably go against the game logic. The main character didn't have the ability to jump, but only run or walk to their destination. Such a shame, but it helps you out that you're able to defy the game's logic or alternative universe in your dream. Whatever the case, you're able to safely pass around the grass.

You reach the edge and jump down, safely landing on the ground below. Grinning victoriously, you look ahead to see if Rockruff still there, but find it gone. You become stiff when you feel something rough against your ankle. Glancing downward, you notice Rockruff's rubbing it's rocky collar against you. You have to hold back your squealing from the pokémon's affection. Rockruff looks up at you and barks, wagging it's fluffy tail and letting its tongue hang out a little.

"Awwww..." you coo at the little puppy, a little emotional of receiving attention from it.

Making sure you didn't scare away the pokémon, you gently bend your knees and sit on your legs. Rockruff nudges you again. You raise your hand and hesitantly bring it over Rockruff's head. Your heart's beating rapidly in your chest, swallowing back the lump in your throat as your hand trembles. Rockruff looks up at your hand with a sweet gaze. He then raises itself by using your legs and bumps his head against your palm.

You scream internally, thanking your mind for letting you have this beautiful dream.

Letting out a giggle, you begin to stroke the top of Rockruff's head, finding his fur to be soft and warm. Rockruff barks happily at the attention, his tail wagging as he leans toward your hand more. Your smile softens while you pet the little pokémon. A feeling of warmth spreads through your body, your shoulders relaxing as you sigh in content.

This is something that you can grow used to. Playing with a pokémon while breathing in the smell of salty, clean air. Enjoying the tranquil scenery while listening to the cries of wild pokémon. The comfortable warmth of the sun bearing down on your back. You just feel...at peace.

Far away from the dark reality outside your dream. The light in your eyes dull at the thought of waking up again. With what's going on in the world right now... Your thankful for your dream's distraction. But... You understand that you have to wake up eventually. So, you enjoy what you have in front of you for the time being and force those negative thoughts out of your mind. At least attempt to.

Rockruff barks to gain your attention before whimpering. You resume petting the puppy, noticing that you stopped when you were thinking deeply. He blinks at you while you stroke behind his ear, expression still full of worry. You can't help but kiss the top of Rockruff's head, smiling faintly at him.

"I'm okay. No need to worry about me, okay?" you assure Rockruff, not wanting to make the little pokémon anxious about you.

Rockruff continues to look unsure but barks up at you anyway. Giggling, you continue to pet him until you hear voices coming from the entrance. You quickly turn your head toward the entrance and immediately stand, startling the poor pokémon. Rockruff whines at the lack of attention before turning his head as well.

For some reason, your heart's pounding hard against your chest, nerves settling in on your form. Even if it's a dream, you didn't want to speak to anyone, unless you wish to embarrass yourself. It's best to be cautious for the time being.

So, after swallowing, you begin to walk towards them while looking straight ahead. Unknown to you, Rockruff's following closely behind with an extra step to his walk. Luckily for you, the small group are only children who are chatting energetically amongst themselves. You smile a little at their energy, finding it a little contagious. Both you and the group pass each other, though one of the little kids takes notice of you. You bow your head politely, the same smile remaining on your features. The little girl beams at you before smiling back. She waves at you excitedly. You return the gesture calmly while chuckling as you continue on your way.

Your body continues to feel tense as you inch closer to the entrance of a cave. You didn't want to look over your shoulder to see if the girl's still looking. It would make things awkward and suspicious. Keep calm. You got this. Just keep looking forward and you'll be fine. You chew the inside of your cheek.

_You'll be just fine..._

A sigh of relief escapes your lips once you reach the cave, your shoulders slowly relaxing. However, it didn't last long. You suddenly let out a startled gasp when you feel something rough against your leg. You snap your attention downward to see that Rockruff followed you. A nervous laugh escapes your lips, comforted that it was only the puppy. He barks up at you again, wagging his tail excitedly when you looked at him. You smile fondly at him.

"Do you want to explore with me?" you ask. When you hear Rockruff bark, your smile widens. "Awesome! Let's go, buddy!"

Both of you walk inside the cave, noticing that it's not completely dark inside. As soon as your bare foot touch the cool ground inside, you shiver at the contact. You really wish you had some kind of protection for your feet. However, you'll just have to suck it up and continue forward. Shaking your head, you walk inside the cave, your body tensing and observing the area around you. You keep an ear out for any sounds of movement within the cave.

From what you remember from playing the game, there should be boulders blocking your path. Too bad you didn't have a Tauros or a poké ride pager to summon the pokémon. You frown at the thought. However, as you walk toward the other side, you didn't see any boulders. Hell, there didn't seem to be any pebbles from smashed boulders. You cross off the possibility that the kids did something to the rocks. They looked to be too young to even have a pager.

So why wasn't there anything blocking your path...? Not that you're not grateful or anything. It makes things easier for you since you didn't have to worry about being trapped.

You breathe in sharply when you hear something shift above you. Glancing upwards, your heart skips a beat as you notice several sleeping Zubats. At least you hope they're sleeping. You slowly cover your mouth to prevent any sound from escaping your lips.

The last thing that you want is to cause any trouble with a bunch of bats.

You begin tiptoeing towards the mouth of the cave, the Rockruff following closely beside you. Everything's going smooth so far. You didn't produce any loud noises from your mouth or feet. Sometimes you glance up to make sure none of them moved while you're sneaking forward. You start to feel the breeze from the entrance of the cave. However, you continue to remain quiet and cautious. The excitement begins to grow inside you the closer you are to being outside.

You're almost there. Just a little bit more...!

"Bark! Bark bark bark!"

Your blood runs cold when you heard Rockruff causing a ruckus beside you. You quickly turn to him to hush the little guy, but it's already too late. The Zubats above stir in their sleep and then out comes the screeching. You cover your ears at the overwhelming sound echoing in the cave. Rockruff, you notice, also covers his own ears and almost whimpers from the irritating sound. Your heart almost leaps out of your chest when some of the Zubats start to take flight. Your survival instincts kick in. Gritting your teeth, you grab Rockruff, hold him close to your chest and dash toward the exit.

They continue to screech around you as you're edging closer to the exit. You do everything you can to dodge any incoming attacks. They have poison in their fangs and you want to avoid any pain. That and you didn't want Rockruff to suffer the poison effect either. You can feel the wind blowing through your hair, your heavy breathing mixed in with the sound of screeching. A pounding headache forms in your head, which makes it difficult to focus on what's ahead or around you. However, you refuse to give up running since you have a little pokémon to protect.

You didn't dare look back since you'll probably be terrified of what you see. A hot, sudden pain erupts from your left foot as you cry out in shock. You begin to fall forward, the exit within your reach. With all of your energy, you push yourself out of the exit and land roughly in the wild grass. Another painful shout escapes your lips, tears threatening to fall from the corner of your eyes. You just scrapped your shoulder against the ground.

It's going to leave a nasty bruise, though that's the least of your worries.

You whimper at the aching pain in your foot and shoulder, unable to stand in time to defend yourself. Rockruff barks in your arms, but you hold him closely to protect him from any attacks. He whines as you watch the Zubats plunge towards you, baring their fangs. You shut your eyes tightly as you prepare for the incoming pain.

"Ninetales, use Frost Breath!"

Your eyes snap open at the unfamiliar voice as you witness an elegant, white fox leap in front of you. She quickly opens her mouth to release a frosty blizzard from within and toward the incoming Zubats. You watch in awe as the Zubats become either frozen or blown away from the attack. Ninetales stands protectively in front of you, a low growl escaping her. Some of the Zubats struggle to go back into the cave, while others fainted from the icy attack. All of a sudden, someone pokes your shoulder to bring your attention to them. You shift your position to gain a better view and then breathe in sharply when your eyes land on them.

"Are you okay? Can you stand?"

Kneeling before you is Moon, the main female character of Pokémon Moon/Sun. Her appearance is the same from when you first chose her at the beginning of the game, except her hair's longer. Instead of the usual blank expression on her face, Moon's gray eyes are soft and full of concern for you.

Tears threaten to fall from your eyes, your bottom lip trembling as you hold back a sob. She's right there in the flesh, talking to you directly and being caring as you believed her to be. Not wanting to cry in front of her, you bury your face into Rockruff's and shakily point towards your aching foot.

"I think I cut my foot..." you mutter, face flushed with embarrassment and from running.

You hear her shuffle before you feel a pair of gentle hands lift your leg. A soft gasp escapes her lips. You peek at her from behind Rockruff to gain a better perspective. Moon quickly turns to you with a frown, gently releasing your leg.

"The professor's labs' nearby. Let me help you stand!" Moon offers her hand.

Rockruff manages to escape your grasp as you stare at her outstretched hand. Without hesitation, you grasp her warm hand and tighten your grip as she lifts you up. Moon helps wrap your arm around her shoulder while you lift your bad foot. You wince a little due to your shoulder, but you quickly assure Moon that you're fine when she looks over at you.

Both of you head to the professor's lab with you bouncing on one foot. Luckily, it's only a couple of feet away. Ninetales and Rockruff follow behind while keeping an eye out for anymore wild pokémon. It didn't take long to reach the beaten up building. With Moon's help, you grunt while you bounce up the stairs to approach the door. Moon quickly knocks on the door.

"It's open!" a muffled male voice shouts from the inside.

Moon grabs the doorknob, twists it and pushes the door open. Both of you go inside with the two pokémon. Moon directs you to a nearby green couch and sets you down. Rockruff jumps up on the sofa and sets his head on your lap. You respond by petting him. Moon's footsteps catch your attention as you observe her going through different shelves.

"Professor...! Do you know where the first-aid kit is!?" Moon shouts, shoving different items aside to find the container.

"I do, cousin! But why do you need it?"

You look over your shoulder to see Kukui coming up the stairs and stops at the top of it. Moon immediately points at your direction. He looks over at you with a puzzled expression. You blush faintly under his stare, not used to the attention and you feel somewhat vulnerable in this situation. His eyes lit up in understanding before he rushes over to the kitchen and opens up a random cabinet. Moon walks over to you and smiles reassuringly.

"Don't worry! The professor knows what he's doing!" Moon says confidently as she places her hands on her hips and grins at you.

You return the smile, feeling yourself relax into the sofa since you already know that you're safe in this company. Ninetales sits at the end of the couch, her calm gaze resting on you. You lift your hand that's not stroking Rockruff and face your palm towards her.

This gives her a chance to decide if she wants you to stroke her or not. Ninetales edges closer to your outstretched hand and pokes it with her nose. She sniffs it for a moment before she licks your fingers. A giggle escapes your lips, finding the sensation ticklish as you begin to stroke Ninetale's furry cheek. Ninetales leans into your touch, a quiet hum escaping her.

"Wow..." you turn to see Moon watching with wide eyes before she softens them and smiles again, "Usually, Ninetales doesn't let anyone touch her except me. I'm surprised that she let you pet her. What's your secret?"

"Err..." you hesitate to answer her question since you didn't have a secret. So, you reply with a shrug and a nervous smile.

Moon seems to have accepted your gesture as an answer when she nods at you. Both of you turn just in time to see Kukui walk over with a first aid kit. He plops himself next to you and faces you with an easy going smile.

"Where does it hurt?" Kukui asks gently.

You lift your foot to which Kukui helps you with and has it laying on his lap, examining the damage. You look down, somewhat flustered since you're not used to a guy touching your feet or leg. His hands feel nice though. Calloused, but very careful with what he's doing as he cleans the wound on your feet. You grit your teeth when he does this, but you remain strong.

The pain still aches, but it's not as painful when you first received it. Rather, it's dulled somewhat. You're thankful that, despite this small body, you're still able to withstand the pain. It would be troublesome if you were to cry like a baby. You're not very good at showing your tears to anyone, especially your family.

"Are you doing okay...?" Moon asks, picking up on the pained expressions on your face.

You wince at the burning sensation from the medicine that Kukui sprayed on. Taking a deep breath, you turn towards Moon and smile reassuringly at her, though it's a tad forced.

"I'm alright. It hurts a little, but I can bear it." you pause for a moment, an idea coming to your mind. You already know who they are, but it's best if they introduce themselves so you don't make a fool of yourself later on. "I never got your name..."

Moon's eyes brighten before she grabs the hand that was stroking Ninetales and shakes it. There's a lot of enthusiasm behind the handshake, but you didn't mind. Rather, you chuckle at her energetic gesture.

"My name's Moon! Nice to meet you!" she introduces herself before directing your attention to the male. "And that's professor Kukui! He owns this place and the pokémon inside!"

"Alola! I'm almost done here, woo! I just need to bandage your foot and you'll be good to go." Kukui tells you as he presses something against your foot. He rummages through the kit and brings out a roll of bandages.

"I don't need stitches...?" you question him, watching as he begins to wrap the bandages around your foot.

"Nope! The wound isn't that deep, so you should be fine. I suggest keeping pressure off of it though until it fully heals." Kukui advises as he reaches the end, and makes sure the bandages are snug around your foot. "There we go! Does it feel okay? Not too tight, right?"

You wiggle your foot and shake your head, relief flooding your veins, happy that the wound has been taken care of. Gently bringing your foot close to you and off of Kukui's lap, you smile at the two of them before bowing your head.

"Thank you for helping me out. I appreciate it." you express gratitude towards them, which earns a grin from both of them.

"No problem, woo! Glad to be of help!" Kukui says before he stands and walks back to the kitchen with the first aid kit.

Your eyes then turn to Ninetales as you stroke her again. "And thank you for protecting me..."

A cry escapes her before leaning into your touch again. Her blue eyes remain calm, but there's a glint in them that you can't describe. Perhaps you'll find out the longer you're here...

Speaking of which, this dream's becoming more and more realistic. Even if the wound's been covered up, you can still feel the dull pain pulsing on your feet. Your shoulder even feels sore. You believed that you couldn't feel pain in dreams, so why is it that you do now...? The fear that you felt back with the Zubats was real. Even the cool air that pushed against you while you ran felt real. This is becoming a little too much for a dream... Shouldn't you wake up by now...? Not that you're not grateful for Moon's help. You really are.

However, you really need to get back to reality, even if it's upsetting that you'll be leaving this dream.

You hear Moon's voice, which snaps you out of your thoughts. Your eyes trail to her and blink confusingly, unable to understand what she asked. Moon shakes her head, her grin still present.

"I wanted to know what your name was." Moon repeats herself, watching you with expectant eyes.

"My name...?" you mutter, averting your eyes for a moment, pondering on her question.

You didn't know when you'll wake up from this dream, so you suppose you can give her your name. It's only fair, right? Moon and Kukui did introduce themselves after all. So, you turn back to her with another smile and speak.

"My name's Reader. Nice to meet you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter to the series! This chapter has been sitting in my files for a while and I finally had the courage to upload it. Ha ha... With college as well, it's difficult to find inspiration and motivation to do anything with writing. (WITH HOMEWORK IN THE WAY! *ACK!*)
> 
> Now that's out of the way, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Moon's eyes lit up as soon as you introduce yourself. She claps her hands excitedly before leaning towards you with a grin.

"Nice to meet you, Reader! Welcome to Alola and congratulations on winning the contest!" Moon says energetically.

Even if doubt remains strong in the back of your mind, you still want to believe that this is a dream. Swallowing, you nod your head and smile faintly at the beaming girl beside you.

"Thank you." you say quietly, though loud enough for Moon to hear you.

Of course, you didn't know what contest Moon's talking about, but it's best to follow along and see where this dream leads you. Moon giggles as she accepts your thanks before furrowing her eyebrows, a small frown on her lips. She gestures to your foot.

"What happened in the cave? " Moon asks, her serious expression and question catching you off guard.

"Ah..." your eyes trail down to Rockruff, who's resting comfortably on your lap, before raising them to meet Moon's eyes again. You swallow, before quickly thinking up a lie before you became suspicious. "I might have laughed a bit too loud."

"Oh yeah?" Moon questions, though there's a glint of curiosity in her eyes. With a flick of her hand, Moon gestures you to explain further.

"Both of us were walking through the cave..." you start before shifting in your seat to get comfortable, being careful not to disturb Rockruff as you continue, "-…when I heard Rockruff doing something. I looked over to see that he was trying to catch his tail with his mouth -" you pause for a second, your lips curving into a smile at the thought. That and well... It'll make the lie more genuine, "…-it took him a couple of tries, but he finally caught his tail. Though, he ended up falling over and well..."

You look away sheepishly and nervously scratch your arm, anxiety slowly building up. You try not to make your smile falter before continuing, "I laughed because I found his actions adorable." 

Taking a deep breath, you look over at Moon again, noticing that there's a smile on her face. You inwardly relax at the sight of her smile as you went ahead to finish your story, "I didn't know that there were bats in the cave. So, when I laughed, I must have startled them, and they started flying after us. The rest is history."

Moon nods at your explanation, her smile never fading. She reaches over to stroke behind Rockruff's ears. Rockruff leans toward her touch with a content expression.

"It's a good thing that I was there to help you out," her eyes trail to your feet again, especially on the bandaged foot, "What happened to your shoes?"

Your heart quickens at her innocent question. You glance sideways, and then answer with another lie. "My sandals fell off when I was trying to run away from the bats. I... don’t think I'm going to get them back."

"You're right about that. I think it'll be dangerous to go through the cave right now. The Zubats are under a lot of stress, so they'll probably attack anyone on sight until they calm down." Moon tells you before standing properly.

The three kids from before flash in your mind. Your eyes widen before you quickly take Moon's hand. The sudden action startles her, but you speak before she can say anything. Your hearts racing at the thought of the kids getting hurt.

"Th-there's still kids inside! What if they get hurt from the ba- Zubats!?" you speak frantically, almost saying bats again. It's best to speak their language before they grow suspicious. Even if you're under stress.

Moon squeezes your hand after you tell her that information. With her other hand, she grasps your shaking hand with both of hers and smiles reassuringly.

"Thanks for telling me and don't worry! I'll go help them out. You just rest right here and relax, okay?" Moon says with another squeeze from her hands.

"I'll try..." you mutter, but that seems enough for Moon as she nods before letting go.

"Professor, I'm heading out! I'll be back shortly though!" Moon waves goodbye to him as she darts out of the building with Ninetails behind her.

"Be careful!" Kukui shouts from the kitchen. You briefly notice him making something before your attentions on Moon again.

You watch her leave and hear the door shut behind her. Curiosity seizes your mind as you catch sight of a nearby window beside the couch. Carefully placing Rockruff to the side, you crawl on the couch to reach the window in front of the furniture. Being careful not to bump against the table, you steadily prop yourself. Your hands are resting on top of the couch and your bare knees are pressed against the cushions. Through the glass, your eyes trail after Moon's running form. She waves a machine in her hand towards the sky and then plops a helmet on top of her head.

A Charizard appears in front of Moon as she zips up her protective uniform over her clothes. Your eyes widen in awe at the pokémon, Charizard. 

It looks a lot bigger than you imagined. Though, you're a child now, so it's to be expected that it'll be taller than you. Even from a far, it's still quite intimidating with its sharp claws and the fire that bursts out of its mouth while it roars. Moon, however, didn't seem fazed by Charizard's actions. She did greet it with a smile and wave as she points over at Ten Carat Hill. Charizard tilts its head where she's pointing and nods before turning towards it while spreading its wings. Moon climbs on top of the seat that's settling on Charizard. A soft gasp escapes your lips while your heart skips a beat, your hands gripping the couch with anticipation as Charizard takes flight. Your mouth lightly drops as the pokémon heads straight for its destination, carrying Moon with ease. Both disappear behind the mountain within seconds.

You can only stare at the sky, stunned beyond words. The heart continues to beat excitedly within your chest, a deep, sudden desire swirling within your body. You want to know what it's like to fly on top of a pokémon. To be able to feel the wind through your hair and bonding with a flying pokémon. A shiver runs up your spine, goose bumps forming on your skin when that wish crosses your mind.

"Amazing, yeah?"

You jump at the voice behind you, almost forgetting that you're not alone in this building. Looking over your shoulder, you can see out of the corner of your eye that Kukui's carrying a plate and a bowl. You turn to look out the window again for a brief second before turning your whole body around. Now that you're properly facing Kukui, you nod at his question with a small smile.

"Mm. It really is." you reply quietly, folding your hands on top of your lap.

"On Alola-" Kukui starts off as he sets the plate in front of you and the bowl on the ground for Rockruff, "-we have a very close bond with the pokémon that live here. We help each other out whenever we can, which involves transportation that you just saw."

You've heard and read this kind of speech before, but it's nice to hear it directly from Kukui's mouth. Your smile widens at his explanation. Then, you look down at the plate to see a sandwich and berries on the side. Right on cue, your stomach rumbles faintly at the sight of food. You feel warmth on your cheeks, an embarrassed giggle escaping your lips. Kukui only grins as he gestures towards the food.

"You must be pretty hungry after your little adventure! Let me know how you like it, woo!" Kukui shouts energetically to which his Rockruff barks beside him.

Just hearing his words perks you up and grow excited with him. You bounce in your seat as you thank him and then pick up the sandwich. The Rockruff that you brought with you digs into his meal as well, his tail wagging while eating. You bite into the sandwich and taste a faint spice within the food. It's not enough to burn your tongue, but it makes your taste bud explode in your mouth. You can also taste the meat and cheese mixed in with the bread. A low hum of approval comes from you while chewing on the piece. You continue this for a couple more seconds before swallowing.

"Pretty good, yeah?" Kukui says with a grin on his face. You're not sure if his grin ever went away.

"It's really good. Thank you!" you compliment his dish with a smile before taking another bite.

"Glad to hear it, cousin!" Kukui tells you before the two of them hear ringing from him. "Oh? Looks like I got a call. Be right back!"

Kukui walks off somewhere private to answer his cell phone. You only nod at him, focusing on the sandwich for the time being. It tastes so good, especially with the salty after taste from the meat. You want to savor each bite and the fruit looks so good...

_... Hello?_

A shiver runs up your spine as you jump at the sudden voice entering your mind. Your Rockruff, who you're going to call Rocky, turns to you when you moved and tilts his head, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. A nervous laugh escapes your lips as you wave reassuringly at him before glancing around. There's no one around except you, Kukui and the pokémon within the building.

Was it your imagination...?

You hesitantly look back to the sandwich in your hands, noticing that the condiment's escaping on the sides. Your hands must have unconsciously squeezed the sandwich when you were startled. Licking your lips, you begin your work around the sandwich, so it didn't drip on you or on the furniture.

_Please don't ignore me!_

A rough cough escapes you after swallowing some of the condiment through the wrong pipe. There it was again, except it's louder in your head. You cough a couple of times, your throat burning a little from the excessive action. Rocky's by your side, nudging your arm and whining at your pain. You gently pat his head before you quickly stand, being careful not to place too much weight on your injured left foot. Clearing your throat to stop yourself from coughing, you hobble over to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. Once you reach the sink, you hurriedly look around to find a glass. Once you do find one air drying on a rack, you snatch it and turn the faucet, hearing and seeing the rush of water coming out. You stick your hand under the cool water to make sure it's not boiling hot.

You didn't want to burn your throat even further.

Satisfied with the temperature, you bring the glass under the faucet and watch the water quickly fill up the cup. You turn the water off and greedily bring the glass to your lips, tipping the cup enough to swallow the water. Your body relaxes at the cooling sensation on your throat, already feeling better. After drinking all the water, you take the glass away from your lips and let out a sigh of relief. You wash the dish and set it back where it was.

_Are you feeling better...?_

You stiffen again, but this time you speak up in a quiet tone.

"Who's there...?" you whisper, gazing around your surroundings once more to locate the owner of the voice.

_Ah! You responded back to me! I'm so happy...!_

This voice...it sounds childish to you. Younger even. However, you can't make out the gender of said voice just yet. Perhaps you'll find out if you speak to, whatever it is, some more.

You glance around to make sure that Kukui isn't around before speaking again.

"Uhh... I'm glad that you're happy and all, but who are you?" you ask quietly before hobbling back over to the couch where Rocky's waiting.

_I'm sorry, but... I don't have a name._

No name, huh? Then, who is this mysterious person or...thing, that's talking to you now?

You purse your lip in thought, hesitating for a moment before speaking again.

"Okay... If you don't know your name, do you know what you are?" you coax the voice to answer your question.

_Mmm... I don't know that one either. I'm so sorry._

The mysterious person's voice sounds sorrowful enough. It even makes you feel bad for whatever it is. Something warm, soft and ticklish crawls into your lap, startling you out of your thoughts. Your eyes glance downward to see Rocky laying comfortably and plops his head on top of your clothed thighs. A smile begins to form at the sight before you gently caress the puppy's head and back. You lean your head back against the couch, noticing how firm it is, but not hard enough to hurt your head. It just seems...right.

"Well-" you start off, your eyes staring at the ceiling before you continue, "-you don't seem like a bad person. I mean, you sound like a child and I can tell that you're sorry for not being able to provide answers. You're also not threatening me either, which is a bonus. I'm just trying to figure out how or why you're speaking to me through my head."

_Ah! I can answer that one! It's because I'm bound to you!_

"Bound...? What do you mean?" you ask, furrowing your eyebrows at the sudden response.

_I'm a part of you! I know what you're feeling and thinking always. I can even feel how soft your... Um... Rocky is!_

**. . .**

You're not sure how to feel about a stranger understanding how you think to different situations. You've always been a cautious and private person. After acquiring different jobs and working through them, you've taught yourself to not talk about your life to your co-workers. You would give them small amounts of information, just so they have a rough idea, but that's it. Nothing too personal, especially if it involves family or what you're currently going through at the time. You're also like this with your family, but you're a little bit more open about it than with your co-workers.

You keep a lot of things to yourself though. It's best this way. However, since you have a little voice in your head that didn't belong to you, this is rather...complicated.

Something nudges your stomach and you gaze down at Rocky again. He's looking at you with his big, innocent blue eyes and barks, his tail wagging when your eyes land on him. You didn't realize that your eyes were narrowed until you loosen them into a softer gaze. Rocky rubs his rough collar against your stomach. You wince at the sharp, sudden pain, before chuckling at him, finding his playful nature adorable. You continue to stroke the pokémon before looking over at the stair case, seeing that the professor is still downstairs.

"I hope you can forgive me for asking this, but-" you look forward, your smile dropping to a frown, "-isn't there a way for you to...you know...'unbound' yourself from me? I'm not sure I'm comfortable sharing thoughts with another...stranger."

_I'm sorry. I wish I could. I tried to unbind myself from you, but for some reason... I can't. Please believe me! I really did try!_

You bite your lip, your insides twisting with guilt. You didn't mean to make this stranger upset. The sudden information that they provided caught you off guard and you lashed out at them. They didn't deserve that. You rub your face with both of your hands as you let out a heavy sigh, letting your hands drop on either side of Rocky.

"I'm sorry. This is just...sudden to me," you cross your arms and gaze at the ceiling again, chewing the inside of your cheek nervously, "-if you really can't leave...then I'm going to have to provide some rules."

_Okay! What are the rules?_

"First-" you smile a little at the voice's enthusiastic reply before continuing, "-no judging. I won't be able to handle whatever you throw at me, especially since you’re in my head. Second rule is to not scream in my head. I'll have a terrible headache. Well, depending on how long we're 'bounded', I'll probably grow used to your voice and maybe let you shout in excitement or something. Just...not now. The third and final rule is the most important one, so please listen carefully."

_What's the final rule?_

You can sense the anticipation from the child's trembling voice. Clearing your throat, you narrow your eyes again, but try to keep your tone calm since you didn't want to frighten it anymore than you already have.

"I have times where I like to be alone and think about certain things. During those times, I would really appreciate it if you try to be quiet during those moments. No offense to you or anything, it's just...how I am. Do you understand? Do I need to repeat anything?" you question the voice in your head.

_... I understand._

You heard the pause in the voice's tone before they answered, however you didn't question it. As long as they understand your conditions, then you're satisfied. You begin to hum as you bring a hand under your chin and purse your lips in thought.

"Since you're staying, and you don't have a name... Would you like me to name you? If you're comfortable with it, of course. I won't force you if you don't want me to." you assure, your other hand stroking Rocky's head.

You hear a long, excited gasp in your head. Your lips stretch back into a smile, finding their enthusiasm contagious.

_You'll name me!? Ah sorry! I accidentally shouted. But but but! You're going to give me a name! I can't help but shout for joy!_

You laugh under your breath, not having the will to stop them from shouting. They're happy, as they plainly said, so you'll let it pass this time. It'll take time for the two of you to adjust to each other. You have a name in mind since it matches their lack of description and they don't know who they are. Snapping your fingers, your smile stretches into a grin.

"How about Mystery? It's the first thing that popped up in my head while I was talking to you. Is this alright or would you like a different one?" you ask, wondering if they'll like it.

There's a moment of silence, your heart beating anxiously for their response. Then, you hear a giggle.

_I love it! Mystery, huh...? It sounds very nice. Thank you! You don't know how happy this makes me! I finally have a name... It's like a dream come true!_

You tilt your head at Mystery's words. Have they always been nameless? It can't be possible, right? Mystery must have had another name at one point. They must have forgotten or something when they bound themselves to you. Yeah, that must be it.

_I was always nameless until now._

Your body tenses at the sudden response from Mystery. You almost forgot that they can hear your thoughts now. Yeesh, this is going to take some time to grow use to. Once your body relaxes, however, you didn't miss what they said. They’ve always been nameless…? How come…?

Before you can ask, you hear footsteps coming from the stairs leading to the basement. You shut your mouth just as Kukui appears at the top of the stairs. He waves his phone around with a sheepish grin on his face.

"Sorry for taking so long, cousin! I had to take a couple of calls, oh yeah! I also got a call from Moon and she said that she got the kids to safety!" Kukui informs you.

You let out a sigh of relief, thankful that Moon rescued them on time. You wouldn't know what to do with yourself if the kids ended up injured. Kukui walks over and glances at your unfinished meal, lightly frowning.

"Oh? Are you not hungry, cousin?" Kukui asks.

You look at your unfinished sandwich and the fruit around it. You immediately wave your hands around and shake your head.

"That's not it! I had to...take a little break from eating! Yeah! The sandwich went through the wrong pipe when I ate too fast." you explain with a nervous laugh, mentally praying that he will buy it.

_Sorry..._

You briefly glance to the side with a quick smile before looking back at Kukui. An 'oh' escapes his lips before he nods and his easy going smile returns, a chuckle coming out of him.

"Well, that's not good! Make sure to take it slow, cousin! You got plenty of time to eat." Kukui's eyes trails over to your clothes. "Speaking of which, Moon's going to bring some spare clothes for you. Looks like the Zubats did a number on your shirt. There's no cuts under there, is there?"

Blinking a couple of times, you shake your head at his question before glancing downward to get a better look at your clothes (or rather, pajamas, but you won't go there). They're covered in dirt due to your fall earlier. You take a piece of your shirt and rub it between your fingers. With each shift, you can see small cuts on your shirt. Now that you think about it...your back did feel unnaturally cold whenever you shift in your seat, especially against the couch. You were so focused on the food and what's going on in your head that you didn't notice. Wiggling a little bit, you try to look over your shoulder to see the damage, but you can't see without twisting your neck. Frowning, you bring your hand behind your back and immediately can feel some of your bare skin and the fabric of your shirt.

"... I'm going to have to throw this away, won't I?" you ask while releasing a heavy sigh, pouting at your predicament. 

Kukui nods grimly. Your shoulders slump at his confirmation. It was one of your favorite shirts too, damn it. You hear a gasp in your head when you cursed in your mind.

_You said a bad word!_

You can feel the corner of your lips twitch in response to Mystery's words, urging yourself to not laugh when Kukui's right in front of you. Looks like you'll have to be a little more careful what you think or poor Mystery's going to suffer. Taking a deep breath to calm yourself, you bring your hand forward again and pick up where you left off on your sandwich.

"Well... At least I still have a shirt to cover myself with. That's a bonus." you say, attempting to be optimistic even if your shirt's ruined.

"That's a good thing, cousin! Moon shouldn't be long since her house isn't that far from here. Enjoy your meal while you wait, yeah?" Kukui informs you before going over to the kitchen once more.

"Okay."

That's what you did for a while. You properly ate the sandwich and most of the delicious, juicy fruit. You’re currently chewing on your last fruit when you hear somebody slam the door open. Both you and Rocky jump at the sudden, loud sound. Luckily, you catch yourself before you started choking again. Rocky's on the floor, barking at the intruder that disturbed the silence. As you swallow, you hear footsteps approaching and stop beside you. You turn your head to see a smiling Moon with a bundle of clothes in her arms. Finding her smile to be contagious, you find yourself smiling back at her.

"Hello again." you greet her, wiggling your fingers at her.

"Hi." Moon giggles at the silly greeting, to which you grin in return. After composing herself, she motions to the clothes in her arms. "I'm not sure what size you are, but you look to be about my size. I hope these fit you."

"Thank you for this and I'm sorry for the trouble." you tell her as she hands the clothes to you.

Moon shakes her head, her hair following her motions. There's a certain glow to her eyes as she speaks. "It's no trouble at all! I love to help people out. If there's anything you need, you let me know, okay? Professor Kukui's also here to help too!"

"You got it!" Both of you turn to Kukui, noticing that he's wiping his hands with a hand towel. "If you need a place to change your clothes, there's a bathroom in the back by the fish tank."

You glance to where Kukui's talking about and notice a door in the back. Furrowing your eyebrows, you attempt to remember if there ever was a door back there. If so, you would have remembered there being a bathroom in this place. There was a lack of bathrooms in the game after all. It's good to see that he, and hopefully others, installed one. You didn't want to think about where they've been going this whole time.

Nodding to let him know that you saw it, you hold one of the clothes in one arm and use the other one to push yourself off the couch. You're being careful with your injured foot since you didn't want to irritate it further. Moon's right beside you, watching as you hobble to the back. You assure her that you can handle it when she asks if you needed help. After some struggle, you make it to the door and grab onto the door knob. You turn your head to Moon with a smile.

"Thank you. I won't be long." you tell her as you twist the door knob and open the door.

"Shout if you need any help, okay?" Moon tells you before she waves and takes her leave.

You gently close the door and look around, taking in the size of the bathroom. There's enough room for two people, especially for a tall person like Kukui. It's spacious enough to move around a little, but not by much. There's a faint smell of coconut hanging in the room. To your left is a sink with a large mirror above and further down rests a toilet. On your right is where someone can take a shower. There's a creamy colored shower curtain in the way. You move it aside, curious on what kind of shower he has. Behind the curtain is a bathtub with a shower head at the top. So, he likes to take baths and showers, hmm? Interesting.

Removing your hand from the shower curtain, you carefully make your way to the toilet, feeling the soft, bumpy bath mat underneath your bare feet. Stopping in front of the closed toilet, you glance at the clothes for a moment before setting them on the sink nearby and begin to undress. You were careful through the whole process. When it came to take your shorts off, you had to sit on the toilet for support, so you wouldn't place pressure on your foot. After a couple of minutes, you finally have clean clothes on while your dirty, torn clothes are on the floor. You pick them up, fold them and set them neatly on the corner of the sink. The big mirror catches your attention as you raise your gaze to meet your reflection.

Your heart skips a beat when your younger version of yourself stares right back at you. It feels so...surreal to look animated and young again. You test the reflection by moving your hands around and even making funny faces at the mirror. However, the reflection follows your every move and you just...stare in disbelief of the whole thing.

There’s also something that’s off about your reflection. When you were a child, you had a certain hair and eye color. However, standing in front of the mirror, your hairs dark brown and long while your eyes are bright blue, brighter than what’s usually a normal blue hue. 

You remember what you looked like before, but why do you look completely different now? Is it because of the changes that were made when you arrived here? Or is it a part of the dream? There’s something unusually familiar about this form too…

You twirl your hair around and blink a couple of times. The reflection's still there. An uneasy feeling settles on your stomach the more you stare into the reflection and you’re unsure on why you feel that way. Part of you expects the reflection to come to life and scare the living sh- crap out of you. You pray that it didn't come true and make this dream into a nightmare.

_A dream...?_

You almost pull on your hair when you heard Mystery's voice. Laughing nervously, you nod and glance away from the mirror for a moment.

"Yeah. I'm waiting to wake up. It's about that time anyway since dreams don't last long." you admit quietly, making sure to keep your voice low so Moon or Kukui didn't hear you.

_**. . .** _

"Hmm...? Something wrong, Mystery?" you mutter questioningly, glancing at the door before looking back at the mirror.

_... It's nothing. Do the clothes feel comfortable?_

"Oh yeah, they do. They fit nicely. Not too tight around the armpits, such an annoying feeling. The shorts aren't tight against my stomach. The clothes are great." you answer with a smile, washing your face up a bit and untangling some of your hair with your fingers.

There's silence after that, but you only shrug your shoulders, assuming Mystery's content with your answer. You hear a knock at the door and you tell the person to come in. The door opens to reveal Moon, her smile widening when her eyes land on your new clothes.

"They look like they fit. Are you comfortable in them?" Moon asks, to which you almost laugh at the similar question that you received not too long ago.

"Yup! Thanks again, Moon." you smile at her before gesturing to your dirty clothes. "What do I do with my old clothes?"

"I'll go ahead and throw them away. They're-" Moon hesitates before continuing. "-too bad to fix. I'm really sorry."

You shake your head and wave a hand, letting her know that you're not upset about it. "It's not your fault that I was attacked. I'm just happy to be alive and standing... Somewhat." you give her a sheepish smile while motioning to your foot.

Moon returns the smile with an optimistic one. "Don't worry! Your foot will heal up in no time!"

"I know it will." you say gently before stepping to the side to let Moon come in.

Moon enters briefly to grab the clothes and walks off to discard them somewhere. You go to follow her when something rough rubs against your right leg. Glancing downward, you notice either Rocky or one of the professor's Rockruff rubbing their collar against your bare skin. You can't tell the difference yet since they both look the same to you. Giggling, you briefly scratch the top of their head and then continue hobbling your way back to the living room. You hear the puppy following you with their little taps on the wooden floor. Smiling at the sound, you enter the living room and turn to see Kukui standing beside Moon with a helmet in her hands. You shift your focus on the helmet for a moment before raising your eyes to meet Moon's gaze.

"Are you heading out again?" you ask, curious on where she's going this time.

Moon excitedly nods, but hands the helmet to you. "Yup, but this time you're coming with me! We're going to go to my house and meet my mom!"

Your eyes widen at this piece of news. It's not that you're not grateful for this chance, but why did Moon want you to meet her mom? Your silence must have spurred Moon to explain herself.

"Since you won the contest, you'll need a place to stay and it was decided that you would be staying with me and my mom!" Moon says, her excitement growing with each word she uttered. She gently places the helmet in your hands as she continues. "I've always wondered what it's like to be a big sister." Moon giggles as she smiles sweetly at you.

"Now I'll have that chance!"

For some reason, your face becomes warm from the sudden idea of being a younger sibling to Moon. In all your life, you have been the oldest sibling in your family. Now that you're in the reversed position... It feels strange, considering you have an adult mind. This will take some time to grow use to, especially acting like a child around others. Good thing your shy side will mostly take over around new people. That should work to your favor.

You smile up at Moon, noticing she's about an inch or two taller than you. The blush remains on your cheeks as you nod at her.

"I can't wait." you tell her in a quiet tone, honesty filling your tone.

Moon does a little jog in place after you say those words, giggling as her eyes light up enthusiastically. You can't help but widen your smile, finding Moon's happiness endearing. She turns to Kukui as she takes a hold of one of your hands. Moon squeezes your hand, but not enough to make it uncomfortable.

"We're going to head out, Professor. Thanks for treating Reader!" Moon expresses her gratitude with a grin, waving your conjoined hands around a little.

"No problem, cousin!" Kukui shifts his gaze to you, nodding toward your foot. "Remember, cousin, don't put too much pressure on your foot, alright?"

"I understand. Thank you again, sir." you bow your head towards him.

"No need to be formal! Just Kukui's fine, yeah?" Kukui waves off the formal with an easy going smile still on his face.

"Okay."

"Well then, we better head out! See you tomorrow, Kukui!" Moon bids him farewell before pulling you towards the door, though at a slow pace due to your foot.

After you say your goodbyes, you and Rocky follow Moon outside where a pair of sandals are waiting for you. She tells you to try them on, though slowly to not ruin the bandages. You gently slide your feet until the plastic strips are in between your big and second toe. After wiggling your toes, you notice that they're a little big, but comfortable enough to travel some distances. You catch Moon nodding at the corner of your eye before she helps you down the steps. It took a minute, but you were able to reach the bottom to face a nice surprise. A Tauros stands a little way from the building, but easily reachable. Like the Charizard from before, this one also has a seat resting on top of it's back and wrapped around its stomach to keep it in place. It scrapes one of its hooves against the ground as the two of you approach. You flick your eyes down at the helmet in your hand before looking up at Tauros again.

So, that's why Moon gave you the helmet. For protection.

You warily approach the pokémon, not sure how it'll react to you two being beside it. Tauros turns its head to the two of you, snorts upon seeing you and then turns its head back to the front. You briefly frown at the pokémon's reaction; however, it didn't last long. Moon captures your attention when she raises your conjoined hands and places them on top of Taorus' fur. Your body tenses as you hold your breath, expecting an angry or scary reaction. Nothing like that happens, except a quiet grunt from the pokémon, who’s remaining still. 

Moon moves your hands around to stroke the fur. You notice that its coat is somewhat rough, but warm due to the sunlight above. Soon enough, your body slowly relaxes as you release the built up oxygen and begin to smile again. At the corner of your eye, you catch Moon smiling at you. She gently let's go of your hand and allows you to pet the Tauros yourself. Moon walks away for a moment, leaving you alone with the large pokémon.

"This is incredible..." you mutter to yourself, weaving the fur in between your fingers.

Rocky barks up at you, his fluffy tail wagging. You look down at him for a moment before looking at the fur again. Pursing your lips, you stop stroking Tauros for a minute to plop the helmet on your head and snap the belt together underneath your chin. You hear a 'click' as soon as it connects. Bending your knees, you extend your arms out to Rocky and motion for him to come to you.

"You wanna go for a ride?" you ask the puppy, who’s looking back at you with a sweet gaze.

Rocky barks at your question before he rushes toward you and crashes into your arms, making you fall on your bottom. You begin to laugh when Rocky starts licking your face, finding it ticklish. Though you wince a little bit as well whenever he rubs his pointy collar against you. After you calm the hyper pokémon, you hold him close to your chest and slowly raise yourself to a standing position.

"Are you ready to get on?" Moon asks, appearing by your side once more and motions toward Tauros.

"I am."

With Moon's support, you were able to climb on top of Tauros' back with Rocky tucked in one arm. You were careful with your foot during the process. Having blood seep through the bandages would not be a good smell for the pokémon. You tuck Rocky in front of you before raising your head to look at the scenery around you. Since you're now on top of a large pokémon, everything seems a little smaller and you can observe certain sights from a far. One of them being Moon's house which lies on top of another terrain.

Route one, if you recall correctly, is where Moon and her mother lives. You'll have to climb up a path to reach the destination from where you and Moon reside. There's one problem though. The two of you will have to go through the grass and possibly encounter wild pokémon. Not that Moon will have any trouble. Her Ninetales can handle anything this area can throw at it, especially the Zubats from earlier. There were a lot of them and Ninetales defeated every single one of them with only one attack.

**. . .**

Scratch that. You won't have any problem since Moon's with you. Instead, you replace the uneasy feeling to relief. It also helps that you’re on top of Tauros since the wild pokémon will have a rough time reaching you. They'll more than likely will have to go through Moon first.

You release a sigh and then laugh quietly to yourself. Rocky lifts his head to look at you, but you rub his head and give him a reassuring smile. He barks at the affection. Moon looks up from her work, which was adjusting the strap, and gazes at the two of you.

"Having fun?" she asks with a grin, her eyes bright with amusement.

"We are. The view up here is amazing." you comment, wiggling a little to find a comfortable position. You then return the gesture, feeling a little humorous. "I feel taller."

You hear Moon giggle after your comment. The grin you're wearing widens at the success of your witty remark. You hum happily, your legs swinging from the sides due to your content feelings. Once Moon finishes the slight adjustments, you watch Moon nod from the corner of your right eye and she claps once.

"Okay! I think we're good to go. My house isn't far from here, but with you riding Tauros, we won't have to struggle to get there. Are you ready to meet my mom?" Moon asks while taking out a pokéball and presses a button to enlarge it.

"Yup. Whenever you're ready to go." you tell her, watching as she releases a pokémon.

A ball of light escapes and lands on the ground in front of Moon, creating a sparkly effect as it travels a short distance. The light molds itself into a familiar shape until Ninetales appears. As soon as the light disappears, you watch as their long, curly tails gracefully move along with the breeze. A gentle cry escapes Ninetales mouth before it walks over to Moon's side and nudges her hand. Moon strokes Ninetales head before turning back to you.

"Let's go. Time to follow the leader!" Moon jokingly puffs out her chest and marches forward with Ninetales beside her.

A snort escapes you at the silly side of Moon, but it's short lived when Tauros suddenly moves. Your body jerks a little, but not enough to fall from the perch. Though, it's enough to tighten your grip on the little bar that's a part of the perch. You gaze downward at Rocky, who looks to be grinning up at you with closed eyes and wagging his tail.

Is he... Is he laughing at you? You're not sure, but you pout at the puppy regardless.

"You shush..." you poke his nose after you said that, though your words didn't seem to affect him since his tail moves a little faster.

Rocky only barks at you before snuggling comfortably in your lap and looks forward, his tongue hanging out a little while he pants. You shake your head. Moving your hand, you stroke the top of his head while enjoying the ride.

The whole experience didn't last long, much to your disappointment, but you soon got over it once you reach Moon's house. Luckily, none of the wild pokémon attacked the small group. That or they were too intimidated by Moon's Ninetales. You would be if you were facing a strong opponent. 

Just thinking about it makes you shiver, goose bumps forming on your skin as you become slightly anxious. You hope that you never have to battle anyone since...well...you're not exactly experienced. There's a difference between playing a game, where you can restart if you fail, and then there's the real thing.

Well, as real as it can get in a dream.

_**. . .** _

You thought you heard a heavy sigh from your mind. Before you can ask what's wrong, you hear the door, leading inside Moon's house, open and out comes a familiar woman. Moon dashes toward her and wraps her arms around her waist. Ninetales calmly follows the energetic teen and sits on the porch. The woman, known as Moon's mother, returns the gesture and chuckles.

"My! What a lovely greeting. Welcome home, Moon." her mother, Auntie, greets Moon with a warm smile.

"I'm home!" Moon giggles, a light blush on her cheeks before she gestures toward you. "I brought Reader with me! She's a little shy, but she's excited to meet you."

Your face immediately flushes when Auntie turns her focus on you, her smile not faltering upon meeting your gaze. She gently releases Moon, rubs her head a little before she walks down the steps and approaches you. The heart in your chest beats rapidly, yet you attempt to at least keep your breathing under control. 

You didn't want to worry them. Even if you know the characters, it's still a little nerve wrecking to actually meet them in the flesh.

Rocky must have sensed your distraught as he bumps his head against your abdomen. He whimpers a little bit. Before you can comfort him, Auntie reaches you in no time with that same warm, gentle smile.

"It's okay. There's no reason to be nervous. You're safe here." Auntie slowly says, her voice calm and soothing to your ears.

Like her voice, you take in her appearance which oozes a comforting aura. She's wearing her usual attire. Though, instead of a long and yellow floral skirt, it's blue. The color of her hair and skin remains the same along with her eyes, which twinkle when your eyes meet hers.

You immediately look away, feeling your face become hotter. A giggle enters your eardrums. You peek at Auntie from the corner of your left eye and notice her covering her mouth a little, her smile never fading.

Soon enough, your heart starts to relax along with your body, not noticing until now that you had a tighter grip on the bar than before. The blush on your cheeks remains, but you can feel the temperature slowly dropping. Swallowing, you turn your attention back on Auntie just as she calms down from laughing.

She raises her hand for you to take. You look in between her face and hand for a moment. Then, you hesitantly take her hand. Since you have a child-like appearance, her hand's slightly bigger than yours, but it's softer compared to Kukui's calloused hands. Once you joined hands, Auntie squeezes her grip on yours and then shakes your hand. You copy her motions once you realize that she's giving you a hand shake.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Reader. I heard from Moon that you injured your foot. Do you need some help getting down?" Auntie asks, her gaze lowering and softening upon seeing the bandages on your left foot.

"U-uh... Yeah. I think I do..." you mutter, feeling slightly hopeless in this situation.

"Then, bring your other leg around and I'll help you down, okay?" Auntie instructs with an assuring smile.

Rocky jumps down from Tauros and lands safely on the ground. He then runs up the stairs, turns and sits beside Ninetales, panting after he does so. Rocky then barks at you as he paws on the wooden porch. You assume that the little pokémon wants you to join him. Smiling at the sign, you carefully swing your right leg over and face Auntie with your whole body. She let's go of your hand and places both hands on your waist. Your body tenses at the motion, biting your lip to prevent any noise from escaping.

Unfortunately, a tiny snicker manages to escape, and you mentally groan. Auntie only chuckles at your reaction. Without breaking a sweat, she picks you up and sets you down on the ground. Moon walks down to meet Tauros and whispers some things to the large pokémon. It then grunts before it sets off to help another trainer in need. That's what you assume it's going to do as you watch it leave. While your focus remains on Tauros, you didn't expect Moon to suddenly appear in front of you with her back to you. You jump a little and stare at her back with wide eyes.

"Wh-what is it?" you ask, looking up and down her back while furrowing your eyebrows.

"I'm going to give you a piggy back ride, silly! I wanna show you where you'll be sleeping and other things too!" Moon informs you, bending her knees afterwards to make it easier for you to climb on.

... When was the last time you had a piggy back ride...? It's been so long that the memory of experiencing one is very distant. You can only recall specific parts of your childhood, but they're mostly blurry or forgotten. There were a lot of piggy back rides when you were younger, but as you grew older... You didn't receive them as much anymore. That and the fact that you were older, you didn't request them either. So, when Moon offered to carry you, it brought back nostalgic memories from the past.

You miss the days when you didn't have multiple responsibilities on your shoulders.

Without hesitating, you place your hands on her shoulders and lean your body against her back. Moon wraps her arms under your legs and stands before taking off toward the porch. You let out a yelp at the sudden action before wrapping your arms around her neck, though not enough to choke her. Moon only laughs at your reaction as she effortlessly climbs the stairs and rushes through the open door. You hear Rocky following from the sound of his barking and tapping on the wooden floor.

The inside of her house remains unchanged except there wasn’t any boxes scattering the area. It's also a little cooler inside compared to the warm weather outside. 

Moon continues to run toward where her room is and bumps the door open with her shoulder. She sets you down before flipping the light switch on. The light illuminates her room to reveal some slight changes. Instead of a single twin bed, there's now a bunk bed for the two of them. It's in the same place where Moon's old bed was.

There's a ladder leading to the top bunk, but you can't see what kinds of sheets are up there without climbing it. You can, however, see the railing at the top to prevent someone from falling off. At the bottom bunk, the sheets are dark blue with yellow and white stars mixed in. A stuff Pikachu rests on top of the blue pillow. Raising an eyebrow at the familiar stuff pokémon, your eyes wonder to your left where the doll used to be.

Just as you expected, the doll isn't there on the little table with the three drawers. So, Moon's giving you her stuff Pikachu as a welcome gift. You feel warm and touched at her kindness. A smile forms on your lips at the thought.

Moon runs over to it and pats the wooden ladder, grinning over at you as she does so.

"This is where you and I will be sleeping. You take the bottom bunk for now since your foot's injured. If you ever want to switch in the future, let me know, okay?" Moon says as she walks over to where the stuff Pikachu is. She picks it up and approaches you with it before handing it over. "I want you to have this. I used to hold this a lot whenever I was just about your age, especially since I moved to a different area."

You raise your eyes to meet hers, noticing her expression soften when you meet her gaze. It's different from her usual energetic self. Her eyes were bright and full of laughter. But now... She seems calmer with a hint of maturity swirling in those gray eyes of hers. She gives you a smile before pushing the doll into your arms. You hold it timidly against your chest.

"Thank you very much." you say, inhaling the scent of soap from the doll.

She must have cleaned it not to long ago to make it smell fresh and clean. Moon places her hands on her hips and grins, back to her usual cheery self.

"Now, you take good care of that, okay? I had it for a long time after all." Moon informs you.

"I'll be careful. Also, Moon..." you start off, though Moon gently interrupts you.

"Call me Big Sis. We're family now!" Moon exclaims, her grin widening happily as her cheeks become a little red.

Your face becomes hot again, feeling shy about the whole ordeal. However, Moon looks so happy to have a little sister that you can't help but go with her request. Clearing your throat, you squeeze the stuff Pikachu as you speak again.

"B-b-big sister..." you hide the smile behind Pikachu when Moon squealed, finding it endearing in a way. You continue. "If you ever want to hold this doll again... I don't mind sharing. It did belong to you too."

Moon's eyes become wide for a brief second before she closes them and smiles at you. She rubs the top of your head before she lets her hand rest there.

"Thanks, Reader... Or should I say, little sister?" Moon giggles when you face becomes flushed again, but she continues. "I'll keep your words in mind."

Since the door to their room (thinking about that word makes your heart warm and fuzzy) was open, the two of you were able to hear the knock coming from the entrance to the house. Auntie must have closed the door when the two of you entered earlier. Both of you look up at the same time and stare at the entrance. Moon taps her cheek, her eyes looking up in thought. Then, her eyes brighten, and she jumps excitedly.

"Oh! I almost forgot they were coming!" Moon smacks her head for forgetting before she rushes out. "I'll get the door, mom!"

Moon almost trips on her way out, but manages to catch herself before she fell. You giggle at the sight before you walk over to the bunk beds. Squeezing the doll one more time, you place the Pikachu plushie where it was and give it a kiss on the head. You smile at it before you turn around. While you were taking your helmet off, something catches your eye.

Resting on top of Moon's desk is a picture frame. You pause mid step to look at the picture, your heart slowly becoming heavy the longer you look at it. It's a group photo of Moon, Lillie, Gladion and Hau. Lillie's in her second outfit where she's become more confident and cheerful, as seen in the photo. You step closer to the frame and pick it up, your finger gently resting on Lillie's form.

Memories of the end of the game rushes through your mind. You lower your eyelids and the smile on your face becomes a frown. The beating of your heart pounds against your chest, the farewell scene playing over and over in your mind. Reading the pained words from Hau when he wanted to spend more time with Lillie. How he had so much to say to her... Then when you read that he was crying, it nearly broke your heart. A question broke through your train of thought.

What emotion was Moon experiencing when Lillie left?

Moon only had a blank expression through the whole game. Rarely did she show emotion. She had to been upset when Lillie had to go. Who wouldn't when they're close friend moved to another continent?

"Reader...! I want you to meet some people!"

Speaking of which, Moon's voice snaps you back to reality and you notice a single tear made its way down your cheek. Placing the frame back on Moon's desk, you hastily wipe your eyes and cheek. You slap your cheeks to pull yourself together. Taking a deep breath, you force a smile and walk toward the door to meet Moon's company.

You did _not_ expect these two.

As soon as you set foot between the door way, you raise your head to meet Moon's company and immediately freeze. Your heart skips a beat at the surprise. You can feel your jaw dropping and your eyes widening, your mind screaming internally. Mystery grunts in your head, but you paid no mind to it due to being too much in shock.

Standing tall behind Moon are none other than Red and Blue, the two strongest pokémon trainers that you've ever known. That and the first two trainers that got you into pokémon in the first place.

What in the world is happening in your dream!?


End file.
